Improvement in manufacturing bonnets



- ment or former.

UNiTnn STATES Fries.

PATENT THOMAS BRAOHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BRACHER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Means of Making Bonnets, Hats, and Similar Articles of Apparel for the Head; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact. description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, ligures, and letters of reference thereon, making part of this specification.

In the said drawings, Figure l shows a vertical section of the stretcher or upper instrument. Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the former. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the two together. Fig. et is a top view of the two instruments. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the lower instru- Fig. G is a vertical transverse section of the upper instrument or stretcher. Fig.7 is a vertical transverse section of the lower instrument or former.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the drawings.

Prior to the date of my invention bonnets, hats, ttc., have been made and pressed between heated dies fitting each other closely, except sufficient space for the thickness of the material to be pressed. These dies were costly and difficult to make, as the two pressin g-surfaces must be iinished with great care, and a set of dies required for pressing every varying thickness ot' material, and such inaterials as Velvet and other raised fabrics could not be pressed at all.

The nature and object of my invention are to obviate the difficulties above recited byarranging and combining with a single heated former of the desired shape a stretcher or instrument which shall draw and hold the material upon the former until it is sufficiently dried to maintain its shape.

To enable others skilled in t-he artto make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation thereof.

The stretcher or upper instrument, Fig. l, is suspended by the ears E by means ot' rods or in a proper frame at a convenient height for the operator to work to advantage, while the former A is arranged to slide vertically by means of a foot-lever a sufficient distance to bring the two together t0 shape and hold the bonnet until dry, which being done, the

former A drops by its gravity or other aid, that the article may be removed and the material for another substituted. The former A is completely hollow, as shown at F, Fig. 7, excepting sutlicient metal for the strength, and is heated by steam or heated irons sufficiently hot to shape and dry the articles to be made. In the manufact-ure of colored goods heated irons in the former will alfect the colors, so they cannot be worked, except with great care, as the heat is dry. I use steam, which gives a moist heat and great advantage for rapid work with all fabrics and saves the time and trouble of changing and heating the irons. The stretcherB is provided with crimping-edges c b h, Fig. l, projecting from the inside face, which are made to fit the notches c di in the former A, as seen in the various ligures. If the bonnet or article has an angularface-piece and the form being straight,or nearly so, the crimping-edge and notch band d are not used, the parts c c drawing the moist material over the block or former and holding it tight until it is perfectly shaped and dried.

I would here remark that in no case are the goods made by myinvention pressed,but are held by the crimping-edges only to the former until dried and shaped, the space J, Fig. 6, being cast hollow so as not to touch the material.

Operation The material for lthe articles may be buckram, muslin, willow, or any similar fabric or vel vet, or any pile fabric, cloth, plush, felt, embroidered, embossed, or figured goods, and the operation of producing the article is the same by means of the heated former A and the stretcher B, arranged to shape, hold, and dry the article by the crimping-notches.

The method of preparing the material is much the same in all cases. Itake buckram, muslin, and other similar cotton goods in the web or in pieces, as may be most convenient, and thoroughly saturate the two thicknesses with starch or other glutinous substances and then put them together, being careful that t-heyare well united, and then hang them on hooks or place them in proper position to dry. Then they are well dried, I out themin pieces of the proper size for the articles to be made and dampen them well with Water, and they are ready for the shaping processf -idly and the most perfect work produced.

Willow usually comes from the market in square sheets, and is prepared in the same manner as buckram and muslins by pasting' the Willow and buckram together in sheets.

The Velvet, silk, plush, orother pile or raised fabric I prepare as follows: I cut the buckram or foundation in pieces of convenient size and shape to facilitate work (or it may be done in the webs) and lay them upon a smooth surface and saturate them well with the glutinons substances, and when in this state place the velvet, plush,silk, or other material (which is to form the outside of the article) upon it and rub it down sufficiently to make it stick well, the whole operation being much the same as Veneering by cabinet-makers. I then lay the goods away to dry, and when dry meisten them well upon the buckram or inside and they are then shaped and dried the same as buckram, muslin, tbc., and quite as rapidly, producing a beautiful article and Without injury to the finest texture or material.

The operation will be the same for bonnets, hats, crowns, turbans, or other articles Worn for the head, keeping always in mind that the stretcher or upper instrument B for whatever shaped article, with its crimping-edges, draws the material tightly upon the heated former A and shapes and dries it without othcrwise touching or in any way injuring the outer surface of the article.

I claim- The combination of a former A of the desired shape, and a stretcher or upper instrument B, constructed and operated, substantially as described, to draw and hold the material upon the former while being` shaped, whereby I am enabled to dispense with a heated upper die and make bonnets, hats, &c., of dilferent material and thicknesses upon the same former, substantially as set forth and specified.

THOS. BRACHER. [Ls] Witnesses:

C. A. DURGIN, W. WRAY. 

